


Did You Know?

by literaryempress



Series: My Ask Box Corner [5]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Baby Yevgeny, Confrontations, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fix-It, Getting Back Together, Gyms, Loneliness, M/M, Memories, Mickey Milkovich is not in Jail, Nostalgia, One-Sided Relationship, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Past Relationship(s), Physical Abuse, Protective Mickey Milkovich, Relationship(s), Reunions, Season/Series 06, Season/Series 06 Spoilers, Truth, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt, Voicemail
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-30
Updated: 2016-03-30
Packaged: 2018-05-30 01:39:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6403465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryempress/pseuds/literaryempress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Original Prompt (1): <em>Prompt: Mickey gets out of jail (whatever reason) and runs into Ian & Caleb. Caleb realizes he's the ex Ian talked about and starts to give him shit for his perceived abusive actions.</em></p><p>Original Prompt (2): <em>Hi, I have a prompt please. Ian and Caleb are living together, in a pretty stable relationship and then Mick gets out of jail. He decides he is going to fight for Ian, showing up at his work, inviting him to hang out with him and Yev, basically anything to get Ian back. And if he gets in Caleb's face a little while doing so, even better. Thank you!</em></p><p>Post 6x10-6x11. It's been over a year since Ian and Mickey broke up. Ian and Caleb are currently in a relationship, but they'll find that it won't last long, not with Mickey getting released early from prison.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Did You Know?

Ian had about twenty-three push-ups to do until he was done with his goal for the day.

 _Twenty-two_. _Twenty-one_. _Twenty_.

Ian hasn’t dedicated to early-morning workouts since his ROTC days, though he still tries to keep himself in shape. His arms feel stronger when he does push-ups. Ian wants to regain that strength so bad. He wants to regain his purpose in life. When he found a job offer as a work-out trainer for a newly-built gym in the ads, Ian decided to take that opportunity.

He was to start working today, and Ian couldn’t be anymore excited.

“You’re glistening.” Caleb walked in the room from the bathroom with a T-Shirt tight over his upper half and his work pants on.

Ian and Caleb had been dating for almost five months now. His relationship with Caleb has been the first relationship Ian has gotten in since he broke up with Mickey.

Ian didn’t know what he wanted back then. He didn’t know whether or not he and Mickey would make it together, not with the thirty to forty years of dedication towards taking medication for his bipolar disorder. Mickey didn’t deserve to suffer through years and years of dealing with someone who was too numb to get hard for him. He didn’t deserve to suffer through years and years of paying for clinic visits or new prescription bottles. He didn’t deserve to suffer through years and years of watching Ian lose his shit when he didn’t have his meds in his system.

So Ian broke things off with Mickey and, about seven to nine months following their break-up, found someone new. For his own sake, he decided not to tell him much about his bipolar disorder, for he didn’t want to put that kind of burden on someone else.

That, and also the fact that they still don’t know each other too well. Not just yet.

“You take a liking in all of this?” Ian asked, standing up and extending his arms to show his boyfriend in his sweaty arms.

“Okay, maybe not in _that_ way,” Caleb clarified. Ian laughed.

Ian grabbed some of his clothes from out of the drawers when Caleb came over with Ian’s bottled ice water. “Don’t burn yourself out.”

“Same to you, too.” Ian responded, accepting the water bottle and placing it in his exercise bag with the rest of his clothes and accessories.

“I can handle it.”

“Can you?” Caleb nodded. “What was that story you told when you almost dropped a flaming paper towel on your lap then?”

“Entertaining the little guys back at home.”

Ian rolled his eyes. “Sure.”

Caleb laughed and waited until Ian had everything he needed for the shower before he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Ian’s lips. “I’m off,” he stated, grabbing his black bag from next to the front door on his way out. “I’ll order Chinese tonight, if you want me to.”

“Surprise me,” Ian replied, and with that, Caleb was gone.

This relationship was a little more simplistic than that Ian had with Mickey. Ian secretly missed the nights he and Mickey would sit out in the dugouts, drinking cans of beer and talking about their life problems. Ian secretly missed the days when he and Mickey would just stay in bed and tangle each other’s limbs so they would be closer to each other. He and Caleb would do that sometimes, but it doesn’t feel the same.

He’ll be optimistic, though, since this relationship hasn’t surpassed the duration that his and Mickey’s relationship lasted for just yet.

Ian started up a hot shower, removed all of his clothes, and stood underneath the spray. The water pressure in this shower was a lot better than the one in the Gallagher house. The drops of water would hit Ian in all the right places. Ian would take the soap and rub it all over his body, and when he formed enough suds under his touch and got himself as clean as possible, the soap suds would slide down his skin and reach the floor.

By the time Ian got out, he felt immediately refreshed and ready for the day.

All of a sudden, his cell phone rang in the other room, and Ian wrapped a towel around his waist so he could go retrieve it. The call had ended before Ian could get to it, but there was a voice message in Ian’s notifications. Ian didn’t recognize the number, though, and assumed it was either Lip using his friend’s phone, Carl using a stolen phone, or a number whose contact information he forgot to save.

Ian turned the volume up and pressed play to allow him to hear the voice message. He was hit with familiarity and shock once the voice passed through his ears.

“Uh, so I made it out. You miss me?” Mickey’s timid voice echoed. There was a three-second pause before he continued. “I, um…fuck, I just wanted to know when was the right time for us to talk and…you know, catch up on some things. Saw Debbie and shit last night and told me you got a job.” Another pause. “I’m proud of you, man.”

A longer pause followed that, accompanied with a light, breathless chuckle. “I, uh, I have Yevgeny with me again, if you want to hang out or some shit and see him. The little guy missed you and those fuckin’ baby noises you made to him and shit, and…”

Ian gulped a bit before Mickey continued. “Just – I need to see you, Ian. Just this once. Just let me see you this once, and I’ll be out of your hair. I promise. You know, if that’s what you want.” Another pause. “I guess I’ll just go now, so, uh, just call me back on my regular cell number, alright?”

Ian thought that he was done with the message, but then those unexpected three words came back, shooting daggers into Ian’s face. “I love you.”

Not a second later, the voice message stopped.

* * *

Truth be told, Mickey got out of prison almost three weeks prior to that day; he’s just never had the courage to call Ian and tell him about it.

It was a Saturday when he got the news. Apparently, the police had re-opened Mickey’s case and found out that there wasn’t enough information to arrest him. Mickey had to have been the happiest man on the planet to leave that shit hole behind and make his way back into the real world.

The only bad thing about it now was that he and Ian were still broken up, and there was probably nothing he could do about it.

Mickey walked all the way to his home after getting dropped off by his older brother Iggy, who had gone home and left his little brother alone at his request. Mickey didn’t want to talk to anyone right now. All of his happiness for escaping those piece of shit guards and inmates was long gone after wondering to himself whether or not Ian really decided to wait for him.

Ian probably wasn’t waiting for him, for all he knew.

Mickey went back to drinking. It was unhealthy of him, and he knew he should stop at some point, but now he didn’t have anyone to stay healthy for. He didn’t see the point in stopping for himself. Hell, he just got out of jail, his ex-wife is boning a married woman, Ian probably had himself a new man, and the rest of the Gallaghers didn’t give a shit. How could it get any worse?

Sometimes Mickey would come out in the wee hours of the night to gaze upon the Gallagher house. It didn’t have the best water pressure or anything, but it felt more like home than the Milkovich house. More people resided there, for one, and they all cared for and did everything for each other. Most of Mickey’s family was either in jail, dead, or out of the city. Not only that, but none of them seemed to give a shit about him enough to call him on the regular, spend the day with him, or help take care of him when he’s finding himself stumbling through the front door.

“You’re back!” A redhead cheered as she came outside the house one evening – and it wasn’t the redhead Mickey was expecting.

Debbie ran down the stairs and over to Mickey, tightly wrapping her arms around his torso. Mickey didn’t understand how someone like Debbie even missed him that much. The only common interest they had was getting rid of Sammi, which backfired in their faces without a second’s hesitation.

“Hey.” Now Mickey felt like a complete idiot, standing out here in the cold and stalking the Gallagher residence.

“You just get out of jail?” Debbie asked him.

“About two and a half weeks ago. I just didn’t tell anyone.” The moment he saw Debbie’s frown, he corrected himself. “Well, anyone except my brother and my ex-wife.”

Somehow, Debbie heard the story about Mickey and Svetlana’s divorce. She wasn’t really too affected by it, but knowing that Mickey was still in jail at the time it happened made her sympathetic towards the raven-haired man.

“Ian’s not here,” Debbie stated as if she could read Mickey’s mind.

Then again, it doesn’t take a mind reader to know that Mickey’s thinking about Ian.

“You know where he is?”

Debbie didn’t answer right away, and that served as some indication that Ian has moved on from Mickey, even if it wasn’t an actual confirmation. “He got a new job as a trainer. I think he’s supposed to start up very soon, so he might be preparing for that.” She paused. “I could try to talk to him for you, if you want.”

“Why the fuck would you wanna do that?”

“Because I know you miss him.” Mickey didn’t respond. “I know you guys broke up a while ago, and I’m sorry if you’re feeling a little sour about it still. Just let me talk to him for you. Maybe he’s still willing to be your friend, if anything. I mean, I would know if he was really mad at you or something. After all, I am his sister.”

Mickey liked Debbie, and he had no reason why. Maybe it was her willingness to try and do something for the people she cared about. Maybe it was her determination and maturity. Mickey probably won’t ever figure out the main reason, but she had to be one of Mickey’s favorite Gallaghers, aside from Ian and maybe Liam and Carl.

“No thanks, Debs. I think I’m good.”

Debbie nodded, taking Mickey’s word for it. “You wanna come inside still? I’ll bet everyone misses you, even if they’re not necessarily Ian.”

Mickey shook his head. “Thanks, though. Maybe another day.”

Debbie nodded sadly before she gave Mickey another hug. This time, Mickey hugged her back with both arms. He missed the youngest Gallagher girl. He missed all of the Gallaghers, especially Ian. If Mickey were to have it his way, he and Ian would have never broken up to begin with, and Mickey would still be comfortable in that house with six pairs of Gallagher feet walking around on the hardwood floors.

Mickey bid Debbie a farewell before returning to his house. It was dark on the inside, and Mickey suddenly felt lonely. Even if he wanted to hang out with the Gallaghers, he felt out of place being there after his and Ian’s break-up. He saw Svetlana a few times, and even played with Yevgeny for a bit, but the two of them probably don’t care too much about him now, even if the latter doesn’t have a very large memory bank.

How he ended up building up the courage to call Ian on his cell phone the next day, Mickey wasn’t exactly sure. He didn’t stop, though. His phone stayed in his hand as he nervously scrolled through his contacts and dialed Ian’s number. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t answer. Mickey didn’t accept that. He wanted to get back with Ian – or even just be best friends again, if they couldn’t have that. Deep down in his heart, though, he would much prefer the latter.

Mickey made a voice mail that morning. He was willing to take anything, at this point, than nothing at all.

* * *

Yevgeny needed more diapers and formula, and Svetlana was out with Veronica and Fiona for the day, so Mickey took over the task.

If someone were to ask Mickey if he liked spending time with his son before, he probably would have spit in your face or curse you out for your stupid, fucking questions. The closer to his chest Yevgeny held him, the closer Mickey spiritually and emotionally felt towards him. He may have been born out of hate, but that didn’t mean that Mickey actually hated him.

Mickey carried the baby and a couple bags of groceries to the car parked in the parking lot. The diapers and formula were in the back seat on the floor, but before Mickey could get his son in his baby seat, his eyes trailed to a gym across the street. The place looked to be brand new, and it had Mickey wondering how long he was actually in jail for because he’s never seen that building before.

What also caught Mickey’s eye was a familiar redhead exit the building with a water bottle in one hand and a duffle bag in another. They were too far from each other, but Mickey could tell that Ian had previously worked his ass off and sprayed some water on his head. Ian’s hair looked shorter than the day they broke things off. Mickey missed his long locks, but he looked attractive nonetheless.

Mickey’s feet started taking him and Yevgeny across the street after he closed the door. Once he made to Ian’s side of the street, Ian glanced up only for a moment, already thinking that he had been sucked in some fantasy world. “Mickey?”

“I, uh –“ Mickey wasn’t usually nervous around Ian, but he was a stuttering little shit this time around. “I was buying diapers and shit for the little guy.” Yevgeny started making high-pitched noises at the mention of his name.

Mickey saw Ian’s hesitation to look down at the baby in his arms. It’s been longer than a year since he kidnapped Yevgeny and took him for a drive during one of his bipolar highs. It was a nightmare for everyone, but Mickey forgave him. It wasn’t his fault anyways; it was Monica’s fucked-up genes.

“How’d you know I worked here?” Ian asked curiously.

“I didn’t. I just saw you walk outside.”

“Didn’t Debbie tell you about the gym?”

“She didn’t say which one.” Ian nodded. That made more sense.

Yevgeny started to make a little more noise in Mickey’s arms, prompting his father to look down and bounce him a little. “Ay,” he told him in his baby-talking voice, slightly tightening his hold on the little boy. “What’s up, little man? You tired? Huh?”

Yevgeny’s arms started to reach out towards Ian, making the redhead nervous. Mickey followed the direction of his hands. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if Ian wanted anything to do with the baby anymore after what happened between them. Maybe Ian wasn’t ready just yet. “Yeah, man, that’s Ian. Remember?” His baby voice fell as he said that, his eyes connecting with Ian’s once again. “I think Ian has his hands full right now, so –“

“No, um, it’s fine,” Ian stated, placing his duffle bag and water bottle on the ground by his feet. He wasn’t sure why Mickey was even allowing him to hold Yevgeny after what happened during their visitation in jail, but he didn’t want to blow the opportunity to talk to the little guy. For all Ian knew, this might be the last time he got to do anything with him.

Mickey’s heart started to beat as he walked closer to Ian, gently shaking the baby and calming him down some. He slowly handed Yevgeny to Ian, who carefully had his arms out, waiting for Yevgeny to be placed in them. Once Ian had a secure hold, he eased the tension in his arms, shoulders, and back as Yevgeny reached his tiny baby hands up in Ian’s face.

Ian loved Yevgeny with a burning passion. He loved taking care of him and being there for him. It was probably because the family-oriented trait remained within him after living with five other siblings for so long. Now that he was here in his arms, it surprised Ian how Yevgeny even managed to remember him or want Ian to hold him.

Both of them didn’t realize it, but Ian and Mickey slowly started to smile within the two minutes of Ian holding Yevgeny. It’s been a while since the three of them have been like this, and it warmed their hearts that they could reunite like this. Sure, Ian and Mickey still weren’t on good terms with their relationship yet, but this was nice for the time being.

Speaking of relationships, an unexpected voice startled Ian and Mickey out of their gaze. “Ian,” Caleb began to speak, walking up to the two men. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to pick you up, or you were fine taking the train, but –“ Caleb stopped the moment his eyes fell upon Mickey and Yevgeny. “Who is this?” he asked politely.

Mickey gave Caleb a glare of some sorts. He didn’t even know the dude’s name, and already he has a face that he wants to bash in.

Ian looked between Caleb and Mickey awkwardly before answering. “Uh, Mickey, this is Caleb. He’s a firefighter, and we met a few months ago. Um, Caleb, this is –“

“Mickey Milkovich.” The raven-haired man replied without moving his body once.

That’s when Caleb began to frown. “Wait…” He pointed a finger in the direction of the shorter man. “ _You’re_ Mickey Milkovich?” Mickey nodded, and Caleb turned his head towards Ian, the frown still on his face. “He’s the guy that’s been treating you like that?”

“Treating you like what?” Mickey asked sternly, turning his body towards Ian and folding his arms across his chest.

Ian gulped at the sight of the two men before him. “I, uh…just –“ It made it harder holding Yevgeny in his arms.

“Ian, what are you doing with him? You said yourself that he punched you and treated you like shit, and now you’re hanging around with him?”

“Hold the fuck on, Dark Storm,” Mickey barked before Ian could answer, “since when have I treated Ian like shit? Name one time.”

“Mickey, please –“

“Didn’t you guys engage in physical abuse before you started to have your way with him?”

Mickey scoffed. “Have my way –“ He started to laugh. Ian chose the wrong guy, Mickey thought to himself. He believed Ian could have anyone he wanted, even if Mickey preferred to have Ian to himself, but this guy was just unbelievable. “First of all, do you wanna know what you sound like? You sound like a baseball dad right now, and I’m gonna need you to cool that shit out. Second of all, Ian punched me first, and then I hit him. He was going through some problems that you would never fucking understand in a million years, even if you had a whole ass textbook about it.”

“Of course, I would understand what he’s going through. I’m his boyfriend now.”

Mickey cocked an eyebrow in his direction. “Oh really?” he sneered, and Caleb nodded. “Did you know Ian fucked an owner of a corner store just because he felt as if no one gave a shit about him enough to check in with him and praise him for the good shit that he’s done in his life?” At that, Caleb turned his head towards Ian, and Ian’s eyes fell to the baby in his arms.

“Did you know that Ian dropped out of school to join the army and used his older brother’s identity for it because of our relationship issues? Did you know that he worked at a fuckin’ strip joint? Before, it was because the army shit came back flying in his fuckin’ face, and later it was to provide for me, my then wife, and my son right here.” Mickey gestured towards Yevgeny in Ian’s arms. “Even fuckin’ better than that, did you know that he’s no longer capable of working in the army after his goddamn bipolar disorder had to fuck everything up for him?”

No one spoke after that. Ian felt his shoulders deflate, despite his hold on the baby. Yevgeny, oblivious to everything that was going on, grabbed onto Ian’s jacket and played with it for a few seconds. Mickey kept his guard up the closer he got to Caleb, and Caleb just stared back at Mickey, defeated.

“I know more about Ian than you do. You may think you know everything about him, but you don’t. Fuck, you probably don’t even want to look Ian in the face anymore after hearing about the gap fillers I told your ass just now.”

Mickey’s head turned towards Ian, and he took a couple of steps closer to him. “Tell me you’re more in love with him than me. Tell me.” Ian gulped at Mickey’s struggle to maintain his strong, monotone voice. “He doesn’t treat you the way I do, does he? Hell, that sister I saw last night? I called her this morning to talk about you, and she told me about that firefighter job and how you automatically fuckin’ blew it the moment they asked for your goddamn mental illness track record. Did you really think it was okay for someone like him to get you that job in the first place? Did you really think I was gonna let you witness a shit ton of dead or injured bodies and get traumatized another fucking time in your life?”

Ian bit down on his bottom lip, wishing Mickey didn’t bring that topic in to haunt him. “I want you to be fuckin’ safe, Gallagher. I want you to do whatever the fuck you want, but it’s better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it?” Mickey paused to wipe the corner of his eyes, already embarrassed that his ex-boyfriend and a stranger had to witness him almost cry.

“Fuck it,” he said finally, taking Yevgeny back in his arms and walking across the street. The baby started to cry in Mickey arms the further they got from Ian. Mickey didn’t look back once. He already knew Ian wouldn’t take him back.

Ian and Caleb stood in silence. There was still tension in the air, even after Mickey left with the baby. Now that Caleb knows that Ian lied to him, Ian felt even more terrible than he already had longer than a year ago when he left Mickey behind the prison glass.

“Caleb –“

“Ian,” Caleb interrupted him, and Ian’s eyes trained on his face. “I think it’s better if we go our separate ways.”

“Wait, Caleb –“

“He’s right. I don’t know a lot about you. I still care about you and want the best for you,” Caleb responded, shaking his head, “but I don’t know if this is gonna work.” Ian’s mouth hung open as Caleb turned around and walked back to his car, leaving Ian on the sidewalk.

Ian turned his head towards the parking lot of the grocery store. He could still see Mickey walking through it to get to his car. After all the things Ian has gotten the chance to hear and see from his ex-boyfriend, he immediately felt guilty about it. He wanted to fix this, but he had no idea how.

Ian picked up his water bottle and duffle bag before running across the street to the grocery store parking lot. He held his bag from the bottom so he could make it to Mickey before he drove off. The moment Mickey closed the back door, his head turned to see Ian, and all he wanted to do was scream.

“What do you want, Ian –“ Ian dropped his belongings and wrapped his arms around Mickey’s body, bringing the shorter man into a passionate kiss. Mickey didn’t know what was happening, but he slowly allowed it, placing his hands on Ian’s hips in the process.

When he removed his lips from Mickey’s, Ian moved a strand of hair from Mickey’s forehead and gazed into his eyes. “I’m sorry, Mickey, for everything I said and did to you. I was an idiot who just wanted to forget how much I hurt you that day we broke up, and I’m so fucking sorry. Okay?”

Mickey was quiet for a moment, but when he fully processed Ian’s words, he started to bring the redhead into a tight hug. The two stood like that for a few minutes, Mickey exhaling the tension from his lungs. “Don’t ever do that shit to me again, okay?” Mickey asked, his voice muffled in Ian’s shoulder.

Ian nodded, a tear falling down his face. “I won’t, Mick. I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone wants to know my opinion on Caleb, I really don't care for him. At all. I mean, the actor is good-looking, sure, but as far as the character, I don't give two shits.
> 
> But anyways, I hope you enjoyed this. As always, if you want to ask me anything, here is my [ask box](http://promqueen-and-hairgel.tumblr.com/ask). <3


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